the window to our souls; our eyes

on the way home from church last week when we were stopped at a stoplight a homeless person came to our car window. you could tell this woman had been living on the streets for a long time. we rolled down our window to give her money and we took the time to look into her eyes.

i have to admit that this is a new thing for me to do. i used to never look into a homeless person's eye's, not so much out of fear, but out of guilt. i felt guilt that i had a home, food to eat, or clothing to wear. i felt guilt that my life was better financially, so i never saw them as a person. do be quite honest, i very rarely gave them money, because i didn't want to give up any of mine.

i had the usual stereotypical response that most homeless individuals were drug addicts, alcoholics, or just plain lazy. i looked into this woman's eyes and saw pain. i saw that life had beaten her down, but just this one act of kindness by looking at her in the eyes made her smile. she is a child of GOD just as much as you and i.

we often forget that those around us are living in poverty, or that their life has taken a much different road than ours. i can pretty much bet that most of us can't turn water into wine, or make 5,000 loaves of bread from a few. i do know though that GOD sees each one of us as HIS children, so compassion and grace should be in our hearts. judgement should never play a role in our motives for not helping an individual.

it is not the responsibility of the government, or a foundation to help those that are in need. it is the responsibility of GOD's children to help those that cannot help themselves. GOD challenges us to look into the souls of others without judgement, but with great compassion just as he has shown us.

"share with GOD's people that are in need. practice hospitality" romans 12:13

"we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves." romans 15:1

"if you have any encouragement from being united with CHRIST, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others." phillipians 2:1-4